Not quite done with Christmas yet...

 

 I don't think I'm quite done with Christmas yet and here is one for the next one, it's a last minute entry for Sketch Saturday.  This is a LOTV stamp that belongs to my friend Val, who kindly let me play with her stamps.  I often have trouble finding papers to match an image I've coloured, but the Memory Box DP and the browns and ribbons seemed to work well here and I'm pleased with the overall look.

My card is also for:

Fussy & Fancy - let it snow

Colour Creations - pink & green

Moving Along with the Times - things with wings

Crafting for all Seasons - snowmen/snowflakes

Sisterhood of Crafters - winter card

Black & Gold

Here's one more card using those fabulous Tree stamps from Stamp Addicts; today I posted all the sample cards of to Sarah and Vicki to hopefully appear on this Friday's TV programmes at 10am and 1pm on Create & Craft.  This is extremely simple, I think I spent longer trying to take a decent photo of this than I did making it!

The trees are gold embossed onto mountboard, the edges of the tiles embossed too.  They were then sponged with Soot Black Distress Ink.  The gold mirri card has an EK Success border and some ribbon with knots in it.  I think this could be a Christmas card or something else again, whichever I like it:).

My card is for the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - sundae bar I used black, distressing (ink) and sparkle

One Stop Craft - no designer paper

Fussy & Fancy - black, border punch and bling

Charisma Cardz - embossing

Paper Play - use black

Prairie Fairy - wet embossing

Simply Create - shades of black

Quick Christmas Card and quick service

 

I sent for a new sheet of stamps yesterday, from Stamp Addicts, who have "Whacky Wednesday" each first Weds of the month.  They arrived today in less than 24 hours and I've made this very quick card because I just couldn't resist a quick play with them even though I should be doing lots of other things!  Very speedy service, thanks ladies:)

I brushed Adirondack inks in blue and purple all over the image, then used bleach to remove most of the ink from the stamped portion.  Never tried this before, what a fun effect!  Used watercolour pens to add a bit of colour, some Prisma glitter glue on a few bits here and there, added some silver ribbon and a few layers of paper - job done!

I'm off to try a new craft club tonight, better dash!  Back later to enter some of the Christmas Challenges that are around this week...

... Here I am, entering my card for the following challenges:

 Paper Play - Christmas in August

Simon Says - Christmas in August

Stamps & Fun = creativity - Christmas

Woodware USA - anything goes

Fussy & Fancy - Christmas in July

It's all in the detail

This beautiful image comes from A Day for Daisies, at first glance it looks like a pretty flower with a fairy perched on it...  then you see the bees, the ladybirds, and there are snails and  even a tiny worm on there too!  Mine are quite hard to pick out as I've used fairly natural colours.  I've used hot summer colours for the flower, added Stickles in lots of different colours to my image and brushed Distress Inks onto the background.  The DP is Basic Grey, sentiment from Craftwork Cards and the flowers centres are shadd with Copics to match the image.

My card is for the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
A Day for Daisies - mystery ingredient (glitter)
Crafty Catz - no pink or blue
Your next stamp - 3 embellies, 2 DPs, 1 image
Flutterby Wednesday - open, use fairy or butterfly
Crafts & Me - add a flower
The Colour Dare - real red, peach parfait, pear pizzazz
Little Miss Muffett - summer
Charisma Cardz - summer colours
Fussy & Fancy - summer
Fairytale Challenge - summer sun

Time to kick back and relax...

Don't know if you missed me (or my blogging at least!) but I'm back from a lovely week away on the Isle of Skye with DH and older son.  We were extremely lucky to have good weather for virtually all our stay on the island and it is a magical place in good weather.  I don't return to work for another week and I am planning lots of things to do this week, including some crafting, but also a bit of relaxing.  My nearest craft shop, Stamp Attic, now has a coffee shop (a bit like this one lol) just a few yards away and I am planning a coffee and shopping trip soon...

Image is called Sit and Stay Cafe and it's a Phindy's Place design, coloured with Copics, Distress Ink and Glossy Accents.  I used this week's sketch from Midnight Madness, turned it on its side and made it into an easel card.  Sentiment is from Elusive Images, DP is Basic Grey and the flowers are tiny white flowers coloured with Copics.  More cards from me tomorrow I hope:)
My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
Paper Playthings - summer
Creative Stamp - summer
Dream Valley Challenges - summer
Craft your days away - fancy folds (easel)
Just some lines - easel
Fussy & Fancy - summer
Fairy fun Fridays - on holiday
Delightful Challenges - fancy folded cards
Simon Says - anything goes 

Ooh La La - Guest Designer - Challenge #82 - Father's Day/ someone special

Welcome to this week's Ooh La La Challenge, which is to make a card for Father's Day or for someone special.  This card is for my father-in-law who has had several holidays to the Yorkshire Coast, so when I saw this scene on the Ooh La La Watercolour Memories CD I had to make it for him.  I printed it onto heavyweight watercolour paper which makes it look even better.  My printer doesn't like such heavy card so I printed the scene out a little way down a sheet of thin copy paper, then I used spray glue to attach cardstock cut to size.  Somehow this kids the printer into co-operating:).  I extended the picture using my Hobby Art Scene-It stamps, computer generated a sentiment and used a backing sheet from the same CD that goes with a different scene, Aldborough I think.
My card is for the following challenges:
Mark's Finest Papers - Father's Day
Delicious Doodles - Father's Day
One Stop Craft- Father's Day
Secret Crafter - masculine card
Stamp Scrap & Doodle - Father's Day
Polkadoodles - something for Dad
Simply Create - all about you Dad
Fussy & Fancy - man cards
Crazy 4 Challenges - masculine cards
Stamptacular Sunday - Dads or Grads

Steppin' into Summer - June Tiffany Doodles Challenge

Good morning and welcome to summer - I hope!  Yesterday it felt like the return of winter but at least the sun is shining today.   We have a new challenges for you at Tiffany Doodles and some new DT members to introduce to you.  They are Anette, Sally and Judy and I'll link them here because I've just removed my sidebar list of Tiff's Team by mistake and will have to put it back later - ack!  All three ladies are awesomely talented, please do check out their blogs and welcome them:).

OK now onto the challenge, which is Steppin' into Summer.  There's a great prize of a $10 shopping spree in the store and if you don't know which image to pick there is a cute crab design as the current Thursday freebie if you check out the shop.   Fishing is the sign that summer really has arrived in this household, as DH heads off to the Windrush and the Leach and other Cotswold rivers, so I decided to use the Gone Fishing set which its stunning realistic drawings.

I've coloured with Copics, my Bass has a load of Glossy Accents which have given him a very lifelike shine and DH kindly let me have some feathers from his flytying stash.  I asked for teeny tiny feathers and that is what I got at first, I'm not sure I could see them without my glasses!  In the end he handed over some more visible feathers lol and I glued them to the fly.  The sentiment is from Create with TLC, the background in Dsitress Inked with Bundled Sage and Faded Jeans and overstamped in the Sage with an Elusive Images flower stem to look like weed.  The "line" is a striped rayon embroidery thread.  If you click on the picture you can see it better:)

My card is for the following challenges:
Moving along with the times - no designer paper
Digital Tuesday - outdoors
Paper Sundaes - let's get sentimental
One Stop Craft Challenge - texture
Stamp Something - June digi day
Cute Card Thursday - embellish it
Do it with digis - all about the boys
Fussy & Fancy - card for a man
Creative Inspirations Paint - card for a male
Pile it on - summer heaven

"Once upon a time there was a train...

who was afraid of a few drops of rain.  He went into a tunnel, squeaked through his funnel and wouldn't come out again."  Yes, we were big fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and the Reverend Awdry's books when my DSs were small, every night we had Thomas stories at bedtime!  I've not looked that up but I'm pretty sure it's word for word from the start of the book about Henry the Green Engine:).  Thomas seems bit more politically correct these days, Annie and Clarabelle the silly carriages are no longer the only females on the rails lol!  But the boys loved their Thomas stories every night, the videos and the Brio track too.  So this image from Mo Manning was a compulsory buy when I saw a card using it.  I coloured it and it's been sitting on my desk waiting to made into a card.

DP2 has a sketch challenge this week which was the push I needed to get the image out of the sidings and into the platform.  I've given it Card Candy red, yellow, green signal lights but can you believe I've got 97 varieties of card candy but no yellow!  So my signal is orange.

The card is very simple, even though it's for a small boy I like to keep masculine cards uncluttered.  The colouring is Copics, I've let my image spill over the edges of the Nestie die, sentiment is Lily of the Valley.  I've no idea where the geometric paper came from, it's a single sheet of 6" paper, but it worked fine with a white railway fence made with a MS punch.  My card got a thumbs up from older DS, all 6'4" of him, he remembers his Thomas days:).

My card is for the following challenges:
Digital Pencil Too - sketch
Fussy & Fancy Friday - card for man or boy
Delightful Inspiration - masculine, no flowers
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - what's on your work desk right now - the image was!
Some Odd Girl - manly challenge

Picked just for you

What fabulous weather it has been for a holiday weekend!  My tulips have been and gone really quickly in the warmth, so I've coloured a Fred She Said parrot tulip that won't fade in the heat:). I used one of the sheets with extras printed and added a couple of layers of decoupage.   My favourite tulips  are the greeny-pinky ones, so I've added some spring green Prima paper, an embossed die cut circle and a die-cut sentiment, which was a freebie with Do Craft magazine.  There are some Dew Drops and some ribbon and that's it.
Back to work tomorrow, hope you've all enjoyed the weekend as much as I have:).

My card is for the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Kenny K - springtime
Crafty Calender Challenge - April showers bring forth May flowers
Crafty Emmas - spring colours or image
Card Making Mamas - spring colours
Prairie Fairies - April showers bring forth May flowers
Fussy and Fancy - springtime
Ai Factory - flowers in bloom
C.R.A.F.T. - flowers

Tiffany Doodles - fundraiser for Japan - and - I'm in the Design Team!

 

I've two bits of exciting news to share today, as well as a card!  Tiffany, of Tiffany's Doodles put out a DT Call recently, looking for some help with running the admin bits and pieces of challenges and all the other bits and pieces of online digis, so that this frees up some of Tiffany's time to create her lovely designs.  Tiffany already has an awesome and talented Design Team and I'm very honoured to take on this role and become part of the team.

Tiffany has produced a beautiful magnolia blossom design, for the first time she is offering a pre-coloured version of the images, you can buy your designs here.  All the sales from the pre-coloured image will go towards Red Cross relief efforts in Japan after they suffered the shocking earthquake and tsunami.  The designs are lovely and what a wonderful cause to support, I hope you will check this out and get yourselves a pretty bloom as well as helping a good cause.
To finish up I have a card to show you, made using the elegant Pretty Petals image,  I think it matches the Basic Grey DP from Curio really well, what do you think?  I based my czrd on a sketch at Fussy'n'Fancy Challenges.  I've coloured with Copics and inked the background with Distress Inks.  The sentiment is gold embossed using an Elusive Images stamp, the scroll is a Crealies die and I've used a Nestie to cut out my image as well as a Martha Stewart punch on the border.Ribbon is from stash.

My card is for the following challenges:
Fussy & Fancy - sketch
Incy Wincy - embossing
Lexi's Creations - ribbons but no bows or knots
Gingerloft - diecuts and/or punches
Wild Orchid - dieing to punch it out

Time for Teddy

When I was deciding what image to use for this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, Oh Baby, I was spolit for choice and coloured up several images, including this one, Time for Teddy.  Isn't this adorable, look at that well-loved teddy:).  I've used my Basic Grey Marjolaine DP pad again, and I've paper pieced the cushion she's sitting on.  The sketch is from this week's Sweet Stop, I really like this one, will save it for future use.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, I punched the flowers from green and white cardstock, colouring the centres with my Copics, the border punch is Martha Stewart.

My card is for the following challenges:
The Sweet Stop - sketch
Stamptacular Sunday - Best Wishes card
Fairytale - something for a child
Fussy & Fancy - paper piecing and/or embossing
Floweret - play/birthday
Stamp Something - digi
Crafty Creations - birthday in blues & greens

Last minute card

A quick, clean and simple card for one of DH's friends - last minute  - but I'm quite pleased with it.  Art Impressions stamp, Distress Inked background and used my Swirls embossing folder twice on the card.
Card is for the following challenges:
Cards for Men - Christmas
Allsorts - anything goes
Fussy & Fancy Friday - show us some snow
Stamptacular Sunday - Tree-mendous

A Christmas Candle

 

My poor neglected blog!  It has been mad busy for a few days here, culminating in a 9hr drive yesterday to get DS home from University.  We'd planned to collect him yesterday but since the weather forecast for Thursday/Friday is doom, gloom and much snow, and his last lectures were cancelled, we dropped everything and drove to deepest Wales yesterday.  It was a very pretty journey, with snow clinging on from the last fall as well as frozen ice sculptures from all the waterfalls.  If we get what is forecast, I'm so happy not to have been trying to get through the Brecon Beacons!

I've a candle to show you that I made at Stamp Attic's club Christmas evening.  I used a PSX stamp that belongs to Wendy, the shop's owner, she kindly made all the things available for everyone to make a candle.  Can't mention the evening without mentioning Helga's home made chocolates, they were bliss in a mouthful.

Candle has image stamped onto tissue paper, some colour applied from behind the image, Stickles added after heating.  I like the yellow windows in the church but I'm now regretting the red-light district I added to this lovely winter scene.  Mmm.. think before you colour in future!:)

I'm entering my candle for:

Paper Sundaes - anything but a square or rectangle

Totally Gorjuss - snow

Fussy & Fancy - anything but a card

Charisma Cardz - Christmas gift

A City Christmas

I've a couple of cards to show you today, here's the city one, country card coming up later.  This card began life as a one layer card, inspired by my blogging friend Chrissie's awesome card here.  It's just the most beautiful card I've seen for ages, however while I love tree stamps and have a whole forest of them, I wanted to do things a little differently.  So I decided to use the Hero Arts city stamp I bought a while back which hasn't yet got inky.  But you don't need to look too closely to see that this isn't a one layer card...

I masked off the card, used my duster brushes and Distress Inks, stamped the buildings.  It looked gorgeous.  Then I took off the Post-Its and saw that my gorgeous scene was upside down on my card!  I have now done one that I'm happy with but the next few had silly mistakes on them.  So I trimmed this with a little of the white  either side and gold embossed a Sheena Douglass star on it.  Hmm... looked like the stable in Bethlehem was now a skyscraper... rapidly added Santa in his sleigh:).

The DP is Artylicous from the Spirit of Christmas CD, the sentiment Craftwork Cards and the lacy MS punch was a present from my very kind friend Val.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
CD Sunday - lavender and lace
Wagsnwhiskers - lavender and lace
Truly Scrumptious - sketch
Stamp scrap and doodle - no flowers at all
Fussy and fancy - non-trad Christmas colours
Bah Humbug - lovely in lilac

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge#31 - Anne-Marije's Sketch

Good Morning and welcome to Friday which is of course time for a new Phindy's Place Challenge!  This week we are challenging you to work with a lovely sketch from the very talented Anne-Marije.  Please do check out the DT's work, I know I'm always saying this, but they have produced some fabulous cards this week and I love the "same but different" look when we all use the same sketch.

My card is quite straightforward, I wanted to use the lovely image Place to Pause again, but this time make it into a night time scene.  I couldn't find any DP that I liked for this in my stash, so I used white pearlescent card and a navy flecked with white heavy card.  The image has lots of silver dusted on and I've used silver mirri card for my snowflakes.  The wide lacy ribbon is from Stamp Attic, my local shop, which is also where the sentiment came from.  Sentiment is a Viva clear stamp from a HUGE set for well under a fiver - cheap as chips and very nice!
I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Totally Papercrafts - snow and snowflakes
Fussy & Fancy- Christmas with no red & green
ABC Christmas - X is for Xmas
Simon Says - sparkle!
Delightful Challenges - winter weather
Paper Play - let it snow
Anything Goes - let it snow
Wild Orchid - blue Christmas

PS I'm adding more goodies to my blog candy today, if you haven't already entered please check it out:)

Catching Snowflakes

There is still time to join in the celebrations at Phindy's Place group on PCP, we're partying after reaching a massive 1,000 members!  There are lots of competitions and challenges to take part in, I hope you'll join us.  This is a card I've made just for fun, to fit Tammy's Challenge which is to make a Christmas card using non-traditional colours.

First of all, apologies for the rubbish picture, DH is away gallivanting for the weekend and has the good camera with him, so this is a scan. :(
I've used one of the adorable Christmas Cuties, called Tasty Flakes, you can buy her here.  She's coloured with Copics and I've added Polar White Flowersoft for snow and for the trim on her boots.  The DP is Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  I've followed the Sketch Saturday Challenge layout.  I couldn't think how I wanted to put the thin lines in - until I looked at all the trimmings from matting and layering the image!  The little stars are peel-offs.
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday Challenge  - sketch
Bee Crafty Challenge  - Christmas
Mark's Finest Paper - Holiday cards
One Stop Card Challenge - Anything goes
Fussy & Fancy Friday - Winter wonderland
Creative Belli Challenge - Flowersoft or flocking

Winter Wonderland

I've been practising with my brayer again, I do love the stunning work that people produce and I know that I have to keep at it to get better...
These are:  Top Left-glossy card and Distress Inks, Top Right-smooth card and Distress Inks, Bottom Left- smooth card and Adirondack inks, Bottom Right-glossy cards and Adirondacks.
The finished card is glossy card and, I think, Adirondack ink.  I found the inks work the same way but of course the colours are not identical.  As I have lots of Distress Inks I'm glad they brayer well:).
The deer are a Woodware clear stamp; Santa and the pine trees are Creative Expressions stamps.  I've added some Glamour Dust on glue pen for a sparkle and shine.
Found a great simple sketch for it at Eat, Sleep, Stamp
and I'm also entering it for:
Fussy & Fancy - Let's see your Winter Wonderland
Christmas Stamping All Year - something metallic (glitter)
Bah Humbug - Elegance
 Totally Gorjuss - sparkle
Delightful Challenges - beginning to look a lot like Christmas

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #81- Sketchtime

Welcome to another Corrosive Challenge; this week we have a great sketch for you to follow.  I've used one of the Mrs Comfy images from Phindy's Place, you can buy her here.  I've gone with a red and green colourway but I couldn't make her into a Christmas card somehow, though I have seen some brilliant Christmas cards made from this image, including some by the very talented Annika. Sentiment is from Stampinbella, embossing folder is a Cuttlebug.
Mrs Comfy is also for the following challenges:
Fussy & Fancy Challenges - red and green but not necessarily Christmas
Fairy Fun Challenges - embossing
Cute Card Thursday - play on words

DT Post - Phindy's Place Friday Challenge #21 - Paper Piecing

Welcome to Friday and to another Phindy's Place Challenge!  This week the challenge is one of my favourite techniques, paper piecing.  I've used a fun back-to-school image called "Hurry up Heidi".  Heidi must be pre-teen, despite having just got up she still looks pretty cheerful LOL!  I have paper pieced the cat, the backpack, her skirt and jacket.  The papers are all Basic Grey, the bright ones are Sugar Rush and the notepaper and schoolbook are from their Basics pad.  Heidi is coloured with Copics, I've tried to CASE a background from Mary, one of the very talented Phindy DT; it's ok but not how I'd hoped,  better keep practising:).

I've used the sketch from Truly Srumptious with the added twist of knots.  I've added some bright stitching and also some string, didn't want to add too much, it's such a detailed image that it needs to be centre stage:).  Sentiment is computer generated.
I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:
Your Next Stamp - Anything Goes
Creative Card Challenge , Incy Wincy Designs , Fussy & Fancy , Pixie Dust Studio and Stamp Something Challenge - Back to School
Truly Scrumptious - Sketch
Cupcake Craft Challenges - Let's Get Digital
StampsRUs Challenge - Stitches

DT Posting - Corrosive Challenges - #74 - Pink & Blue

This week at Corrosive Challenges the theme is to use pink and blue for the focus of your project.  My card started with the DP, which is from a Joanna Sheen CD, it is a beautiful jumble of quilts from a collection called Giordano.  As a quilter, I had to get the CD with this on :).  It also has very pretty toppers and decoupage of puppies and kittens, which is not really my thing.  Oh but wait, there is also a set of 12 stamps to go with it!  So...  I got three of the stamps and here is my first attempt with one of them.  I really like it but found both dog and kitten quite challenging to colour in.  This card is for my "Post Pal" Alice, if you have any spare cards then Post Pals is a lovely thing to do with them...

Coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks and cut out with a scalloped Nestie, I've matted my image and popped it up on 3D  pads.  The pink is edged with a Marthda Stewart lattice punch and the gingham check is stitched down onto it.  Flowers use my new gadget of a cutting die from Little Claire (more new stash!) and I've used a punch for leaves too.  The sentiment came with the stamp.

I've used the Sketch & Stash Challenge sketch for my card, my new stash is the stamp (never inked before) and the new CD with the DP.  I'm also entering Fussy & Fancy Friday's Stitches, scallops and sparkle challenge, and Cupcake Craft Challenge's Cats & Dogs theme.